Ana Čalić participated in the Youth Policy Dialogue on the Future of European Tourism hosted in Athens by Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas, representing both EBI as a Council Member and the Croatian Employers’ Association (CEA). The dialogue brought together around 20 young participants from across the EU to exchange views on the future EU Strategy for Sustainable Tourism.

The discussion focused on issues such as sustainability, accessibility, visitor flows and the role of local communities in tourism. During the exchange, Ana raised the relevance of recreational boating within the future strategy, pointing in particular to the need for mutual recognition of boating licences, better support for marina infrastructure, and greater recognition of boating across different European regions.

In the discussion with the Commissioner, Ana also highlighted the sector’s competitiveness challenges, the importance of funding for infrastructure linked to alternative fuels and electrification, and the need for a more targeted and unified approach to support boating destinations and jobs across Europe.

The dialogue was part of the EU Commission’s wider work to involve young people in policy development, and the exchange provided a useful opportunity to ensure that boating and nautical tourism were part of the discussion ahead of the upcoming Strategy for Sustainable Tourism.

The event was recorded and can be watched here.